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On the Ground in Congo’s Rebellion

In February, weeks after the rebels declared a unilateral cease-fire, representatives of 11 African countries gathered in Ethiopia to sign an agreement in which Congo pledged reform, while its neighbors promised not to meddle in the conflict.

In March, after Ntanganda turned himself in to the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda, the U.N. broadened its mandate in Congo. The new U.N. Force Intervention Brigade was released from the defensive role typical of U.N. peacekeeping forces and authorized to carry out targeted offensive operations against rebel militias.

Above, two Congolese women walk by a government tank in Munigi on July 15, 2013.